01/03/2024
Home of a Basalt Stone
I recently went on holiday to one of the Canary Islands, Lanzarote.
As soon as we arrived, I saw it was a different land to what we are used to seeing up north. The first thing I saw from the plane was a mountain of reddish colour and conic shape, like a potential volcano. I am guessing it was Monte Mina.
The road we took when driving to the hotel was cutting through quite barren fields of dark grey land of dust with scarce fauna, just palm trees here and there, cacti and aloe vera of course. No weeding problems in Lanzarote, I don’t think.
Some compare Lanzarote to the moon, as they imagine. I call this island a home of basalt stone as I soon came to discover. The basalt stones are everywhere in Lanzarote. They serve as walls, tables, stairs and screens, fortifications… they encase pools, provide interest as garden features and features in garden walls… they are carved into sculptures and practical souvenirs like photo frames or ashtrays. They are used for beautiful jewellery.
Being on this holiday with my husband, I had another romance going – romancing the basalt stone 😊
Basalt originates from the interior of our planet Earth. At the depths between 50-200km into the Earth, there exists and is continuously produced enormous heat which cradles the hot molten rock that is called magma. Magma is usually slightly less dense than solid rock and once it’s formed it tends to rise towards the surface of the Earth. In case of basaltic magma that occurs at the temperature of about 1150 °C. When on the surface, magma becomes lava, which is what we see as a fiery hot liquid oozing downhill the volcano during its eruption. On the surface of the Earth lava starts cooling down to the point when it solidifies (ca. 800°C), and becomes rock – the basalt stone as we know it.
This is our gift from Mother Earth! Like with every good mother, who explodes at times, after the explosion we can collect some real precious debris… like the basalt stones! This igneous rock (from Latin ‘ignis’ – fire) is rich in iron and magnesium. Basalt stones will hold heat as if they were friendly touchable coals. No wonder people started to use them to ease the pain and vitalise organs, to nourish and relax their tired muscles.
Nowadays, hot stone massage is regarded as a luxury treatment, especially in the West. I like to remember about its history as a common practice when people lived closer to nature, listened to it and used nature as their medicine. Hot stone massage dates back to about 5000 years ago when it was practised in Ayurveda, the ancient Indian medicine. Hot stone massage features in old massage traditions of people from Hawaii, China and Japan. Hot stones were also used by American Indians.
So, what does a hot stone massage do? Here is the list of…
The benefits of a hot stone massage:
- Comforting heat of basalt stones helps decrease muscle spasms and relax muscles on a deeper level, allowing for an increased range of motion and reducing pain – hot stone massage can help with painful conditions like fibromyalgia or rheumatoid arthritis, and general aches and pains. If cold stones (marble) are also used in a massage, they will help reduce local inflammation.
- Stimulates circulation, which leads to a better and greater distribution of nutrients and oxygen to every cell of your body, thus improving general health and vitality.
- Stimulates lymphatic system, which aids the detoxification of the body and also contributes to strengthening the immune system.
- Has a sedative and calming effect on the nervous system by activating its parasympathetic part. With increased circulation the nerves are better nourished. The feeling of relaxation and calm travels from muscles through the nerves to the organs helping the body achieve harmony.
- Calming the nervous system will have a balancing effect on the endocrine (hormonal) system.
- As stones are living microcosms of energy, they will energise the chakras and assist in balancing the chakra system. Hot stone therapy may help bring to the consciousness some deeper underlying emotional and psychological problems. It is a release of blocked energy or trapped trauma within the body. Thus, it can help with resolving deeper mental health issues by bringing them to the surface. Basalt stone is associated with the root chakra, Muladhara (lit. Root of Existence), responsible for our connection to the Earth, sense of security and stability. It is considered to be the foundation of the ‘energy body’.
- Induces a sense of deep relaxation melting stress away. Provides a sense of grounding and feeling present and connected within our body-mind-spirit complex. Conditions like chronic stress and anxiety respond well to hot stone therapy.
- It will support the good look of your skin by stimulating the production of collagen and elastin fibres of the deeper layers of the skin, repair and healing of superficial tissues, elimination of toxins and better absorption of nutrients.
When I’m massaging or being massaged with basalt stones, touching the stones spurs my imagination into the mystery and beauty of life on Earth, into the Earth’s midst where our life is nourished and sustained from. It is our connection with the Earth, which has yet other and profound benefits to our wellbeing, but it is a theme for another article.
So, if you are fed up with the English weather, if you feel stressed, low and depleted, lost in your sense of Self–feeling, achy, tired or simply are thinking of what to add to your Self-care routine, come in for a hot stone massage and experience the new source of energy and calm in your life. I look forward to giving you a wonderful massage. Thank you.
Bibliography
John Farndon. “The Practical Encyclopedia of Rocks and Minerals”. Lorenz Books. Anness Publishing Ltd. 2006
Graham Park. “Introducing Geology. A guide to the world of rocks”. Dunnedin Academic press Ltd. 2010
David Whitehouse. “Journey to the centre of the earth”. Weidenfeld and Nicolson. 2016
David A. Rothery. “Geology. A complete introduction”. The Open University. 2015
Suzanie Knight.“Level 3 VRQ in Beauty Therapy”. Unit 322 Apply stone therapy massage Study guide” .Bedford College and University Centre. 2022
https://www.indiatimes.com/health/healthyliving/hot-stone-massage-the-benefits-of-shila-abhyanga
https://www.artofliving.org/uk-en/ayurveda/therapies/hot-stones-abhyanga
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